SERENA N MICHEL | Huakaʻi a Lehua

Story by Serena N Michel
Excerpt |
The night was still in Waiʻanae moku. All was silent in the valley of Lualualei. No tree stirred, and the water along the valley’s shoreline lapped softly against the sand and sizzled lightly on its way back into the ocean. Ulehawa Stream was smooth and flat, and the moon could see her reflection on its surface. With a mahina poepoe, the kinolau of Māui was defined along the ridgeline of Palikea and Puʻu Heleakalā. The stars were clear and many. The night sky was fully awake. Its stillness was ever-present and deeply-felt. And then a cry ripped through the air.
It came from the first hale along Ulehawa Stream, just across from the shore. The natural world seemed to shift and respond with the cry. The waves clapped gently louder, and the moon and stars radiated faintly brighter. The cry had been so sudden, it was incomprehensible with the sound of the water receding from the shore. But then the environment returned to its natural state, the atmosphere became calm again, and the cry was distinct. It was the cry of a newborn child.

I can see my question

I can see my question turning over and over in his mind. He contemplates the question for one whole minute before answering. “I will tell you what I believe,” he says, “but I will not force my beliefs on you. In the end, you must choose what you will believe.” I nod, and he continues. “I believe all land on earth belongs to ke Akua. This is not truly our land, but merely the land ‘Io brought us to and made us stewards over it. I said earlier that alienation from land that we call and know as Papa, has brought damage to the ‘ohana as a fundamental facet of our culture. But I think it is much deeper than that. In being alienated from land, we were being separated from God’s purpose that we as Kānaka ‘Ōiwi were chosen to be stewards of this land—to take care of it and show aloha ‘āina to it. And when you’re separated from God’s purpose, whether by force or by choice, not only does it bring immeasurable damage on an individual level, but also on a collective level, and that’s the ‘ohana for us. By returning to the land, we are not just connected to our ‘Ōiwi roots, but also connecting back to who, I believe, God created us to be. “In terms of who ‘Io is, he was known as the Supreme Being who sits in the middle of the heavens. So, the one-God concept is not the haole’s religion, but was here long before the missionaries came in 1820. Pele was one of the goddesses brought by priests of Paʻao from Kahiki, or Tahiti. Moʻolelo even tell of Pele coming from Kahiki. Our people began to worship other gods brought here: Lono, Kāne, Kanaloa, and others. I believe in ke Akua and 26

only Him. Many ‘Ōiwi strongly disagree with me, but I’ve chosen what I believe and I stand by it. “I pass these moʻolelo down to you because I believe they teach lessons. People remember stories more than simple quotes, although we do have our ‘Ōlelo Noʻeau, which are filled with mana. I believe these moʻolelo should be remembered so that the lessons are never lost. I believe that each generation of ‘Ōiwi should learn what is necessary to make sure the future generations are able to flourish with wisdom and understanding that they can pay forward. This is what I believe. “I don’t force my beliefs on you, because ke Akua doesn’t force Himself on us—people do. This is why I think many Kānaka ‘Ōiwi resent the idea of Him, because the missionaries forced Him on our ancestors. They didn’t give them a choice. God gives us free will to choose in His unconditional love. To force us to love Him would remove that choice from us. Therefore, I tell this all to you, not to force you to believe it, but to give you a choice. Love is not force, it’s choice. I would want you to choose ke Akua, not because you feel forced to, but because you choose to love Him from the deepest part of your naʻau. Aloha au iā ‘oe, kuʻu ipo, no matter what you choose.” I’m moved into complete silence. I feel I can’t even utter a word. I knew my Papa loved me from his naʻau, but I didn’t realize how deep his love was for me—that he would allow me to choose my routes of beliefs while still embracing my roots, and love me no matter what. All I can do is uncross my legs, walk on my knees to Papa and 27

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all
our customers a Happy New Year and thank you for your
continued support which has been overwhelming during
2017.
This season is crammed full of our popular tributes and
favourites, kicking-off the Spring is the UK’s No.1 swing
band Jive Aces. Their high energy performance will
certainly have you on your feet wanting to jive the
night away.
In February we see the return of LDN Wrestling and in
April come along and see Pasha’s brand new show, “The
Magic of Hollywood” or pop rock group Showaddywaddy.
Following from their successful tours in 2017 we are
pleased to welcome back Bob Drury as Neil Diamond, Katie
Markham with her show-stopping resemblance to music
icon Adele, Rod Stewart tribute - Some Guys have all the
Luck, Dire Straits tribute - Money for Nothing and Irish
favourite Seven Drunken Nights.
We are also excited to bring you a variety of brand new
productions for our theatre. Firstly you can spend an
evening with one of the most famous and charismatic
Jockeys of all-time Frankie Dettori or enjoy an
evening of laughter with legendary comedian
Jimmy Jones. For the music fans, relive the
memory of Cilla Black with an unforgettable
show that journey’s its way through Cilla’s life
and the 60s or sing along to songs like Big Girls
Don’t Cry, Sherry and many more with our new Frankie
Vallie and the Four Seasons tribute Walk
Like a Man.
We certainly have a fantastic treat
for our young audiences with two Easter
productions starting with Easter Bunny Eggs
Factor for the 2-7 year olds. This is followed by our
Easter pantomime Alice in Wonderland which stars Britain’s
Got Talent winner Ashleigh with her dog Sully along with
children’s favourite TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips.
There is also one further star casting still to be announced.
Don’t miss out and book your tickets early to avoid
disappointment and to get the best seats.
We do hope you enjoy our Spring programme and as
always, look forward to welcoming you to our theatre soon.

Inappropriate

Loading...

Inappropriate

You have already flagged this document.Thank you, for helping us keep this platform clean.The editors will have a look at it as soon as possible.